Abstract:

In times of great technological changes and increased environmental problems, schools should take more action and responsibility for students’ education about sustainable development. Knowledge of nature and environmental protection has existed for many years. During that time, environmental and political conditions have changed, as well as the expectations of those engaged in educational work.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the curriculum of the subject Biology for secondary education (four-year high school and three or four year vocational education) in order to determine the incorporation of education for sustainable development in the subject curriculum. During the analysis of the curriculum of the subject Biology, all six program areas from the first to the fourth classes were scanned. The program of the subject Biology deals mostly with topics related to education and upbringing for the protection of the environment and the preservation of natural resources. The analysis of the curriculum’s contents of the subject Biology unequivocally shows that the teaching content of this subject can contribute to the education of students in the field of sustainable development, although in the teaching objectives of Biology education for sustainable development it is not mentioned in any curriculum and it is not explicitly mentioned as a term.

There is a lack of contemporary and practical examples that would help educators in the modernization and organization of teaching. For the implementation of more contents that treat the problem of sustainable development, specific scientific articles for analysis as well as presentation of targeted video materials like illustrations are more than necessary. With that, teachers would have an opportunity for a new way of implementing the program.

Regarding the contents and the predicted number of hours according to the program, it is evident that there is insufficient time for the realization of laboratory exercises and practical application of the acquired knowledge. In order to achieve the strategic goals of sustainable development, teachers must follow the current issues and be up to date with all scientific achievements in the field of sustainable development, so that they can give directions to the next generation about how they should act in the future.

Keywords:

Еnvironmental education, sustainable development, modern schools, child, school.